This invention relates to a control device, and in particular, to a thermostat control for a boat dock de-icer. While the invention is described with respect to its application with a boat dock de-icer, those skilled in the art will recognize the wider applicability of the inventive principals disclosed hereinafter.
Boat owners who operate their pleasure craft, for example, in lakes or rivers subject to freezing, are limited in their choices for preventing cold weather from causing damage to the boat because of low temperatures. In the past, boats have been removed from the water and placed in storage. More recently, pneumatic lifts are employed in some boat docks to hoist the boat above water, essentially using the boat dock itself as the storage shed.
A second recent option has been to leave the boat in the water but use a de-icer with it during the cold months. The de-icers essentially are electrically powered pumps which blow a air/water mixture into the boat dock around the hull of the craft. The turbulence thus created prevents water in the vicinity of the boat from freezing. Pleasure craft in which the present invention finds application often are kept at or in conjunction with second homes or weekend retreats that are not inhabited continuously. Heretofore, an owner of a de-icer who suspected that temperatures might fall below freezing was required to turn the de-icer on and leave it running continuously. The continuous operation of a de-icer increases the cost of operation and reduces the de-icers useful life.
The invention disclosed hereinafter overcomes these prior art deficiencies by providing a control for the de-icer which provides for energization of the de-icer only when the water temperature at the boat dock falls into a danger zone, and removes the source of electricity to the de-icer when the sensed temperature exceeds the predetermined limit. The unattended, intermittent operation of the de-icer reduces operating costs and increases the useful life of the de-icer.
One of the objects of this invention is to provide a temperature control circuit for a de-icer used in conjunction with a boat dock.
Another object of this invention is to provide a low cost device for operating the de-icer.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a control device for a de-icer which includes a temperature sensor and a means for controlling the set point for operating a boat de-icer.
Another object of this invention is to provide for operating a boat dock de-icer when needed.
Another object of this invention is to reduce the operating costs of a boat dock de-icer.
Still another object of this invention is extend the useful life of a boat dock de-icer.
Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a low cost, simple to construct and easily maintained control for a boat dock de-icer.
Other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the following description and accompanying drawings.